Vacuum molding-machine.



C. WERRA.

VACUUM MOLDING MACHiNE. APPucATmN F|LED1uN1,:914.

'Patented Am: 25, 19%?.

A T TUA/f- V5 serves to control "the movement of the valve and the discharge 'of molten metal from the melting pot-. v

The' .die member for receiving'the molten 'material is positioned below the burner:

(l chamber and comprises theixed'die section 31' secured to the,top member 8 by the bolts 18 andthe movable die section 32 which is mounted. on the vupper end of the pistonl plunger 33 extending upwardly from the cylinder 34. The cylinder 34 i's .mounted on the base member 6 and the piston plun..`

"ger '33 extends slidablythrough the upper open end thereof and .is reeiprocated by means of compressed air, supplied through t the pipe 35 from a source of'supply 34.l The compressed air from the air pump or source l. of'supply is,contro1led by means of ajthree Way valve 35 connected to the pipe, which may be turned in one dir eetion'to admit 'the air to the cylinder to force the piston upvvardly, or turned in another direction, to,

' jacent face portions of the flanges are provided with annular grooves 38 and 38' .and a packing ring 39 formed of asbestos 0r other desirable material is positioned in the groove 38 and is adapted to enter the groove 38 of the upper fiange', and seal the joint when the two sections are in closed position. The upper or fixed flange 36 and the edge portion of the upper die section are also provided with annular grooves 40 which are connected together, and to the molding space 41 of the upper section, by radial grooves 472.' These last mentioned grooves are provided to permit the air to be exhausted and a vacuum created in the molding space 4l by means of the vacuum i pump 43 which is connected by a pipe 44 to the upper iange at a point above the outer groove of the liange 36.

The upper portion of the die 31 is provided with an inlet opening 45 which is in register' with the valve opening 29 of the melting pot.

rl`he movable die section is provided with spring actuated stripper rods 46 slidably n'munted in the die member 32 and plunger 33 and which are adapted to engage the edge portion of utensils molded or cast in the die, and strip it from the male portion 47 of the die while the said male portion ,is moving downwardly and out of engagement with the fixeddie section.

'While the die shown is adapted for a simple household utensil it is to be understood that other lforms of dies may be used -for making various kinds and shapes of utensils without departing from the spirit and scope of. the invention.

In `use thel aluminum is reduced to a molten mass by the burner, and the movable die section is forced vupwardly into engagement With'the fixed die by admitting air under" pressure to the cylinder. i When thus positioned the air is exhausted fromthe molding space between the twodie sections,A and the valve in the meltingpot is opened to permit the molten metal to flow into the space formed between the die sections. As a partial vacuum is formed in the molding space the molten material will be caused to completely fill the entire space. and form a. perfect casting without the liability of having blow holes therein. When tue cast metal in the die has cooled sutliciently to maintain its shape, the valve controlling the compressed -air pipe is turned to exhaust the compressed air in the cylinder and the piston will withdraw tliemovable die section Jfrom the fixed section, and while moving downwardly the stripper rods under the action ol the springs move upwardly to strip the cast ,utensil from the movable die section and leave the said utensil in thc upper iixed die. In further cooling, the utensil will contract and finally drop out of' the fixed die, and the operation of casting may then be repeated.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the vacuum molding machine is of simple construction and is well adapted for the purpose described.

vWhat I claim as my invention is:

l. In a vacuum molding machine, the combination, with a frame, a` burner chamber mounted thereon, a melting pot disposed within the burner chamber and having a discharge opening at its lower end,

`and a valve member controlling said discharge opening, of a die member secured to the frame beneath the melting pot and having an opening therein communimting With said discharge opening, and a die mcmber reciprocally mounted upon the iframe and movable into engagement with the fixed die to form a casting space therebetween, means carried by thi` die membersl for forming an air-tight joint lwtween said members, and means for exhausting the air from the casting space of the die.`

Li. ln a vacuum molding machine. the combination, with a frame. a burner chamber mounted thereon'. a melting pot disposed. within the burner chamber and having a discharge opening at its lower end, and a valve member controlling said discharge opening, of a die member secured to the frame beneath the melting pot and having an opening therein communiratillg with said discharge openii'lg, a support movably mounted upon the frame, a die member carried by said support, means for vertically .llO

reciprocating said movable support and die to bring said die members together to form a casting space therebetween, `'means carried by the die members for sealing them together to form an air-tight joint between the same, and means for exhausting the air from the casting space ofthe die.'

. 3. In a lvacuum molding machine, the combination, with a frame a burner chamber mountedv thereon, a melting pot dis-` posed within the burner chamber and having a discharge opening at its lower end, and' a valve member controlling said discharge opening, of a die member secured to the frame beneath thel melting pot and having an opening therein communicating with said discharge opening, a die member vertically movable with respect to the frame and said fixedv die to form a casting space between said members, sealing liangesv carried by each of said die members to form an airtight closure between the dies whenthey are brought together, and means for exhausting the air from the casting space-of the die members.

4. In a vacuum molding machine, the combination of a frame, a ixed die member mounted thereo, a`-die member ,llmovably mounted in the"^frame and movable to a '3o position adjacent the lixed die member'to form a casting space therebetween, means for conducting metal to the casting space, means carried by the die members for sealing them together to form an air-tight joint between the same, means for exhausting the air from the casting space, and stripper rods automatically operable to move; the cast article from the movable die member when said die member is moved away from 40 the fixed die member.

A vacuum molding machine, comprising a two part die member comprising vfixed i and movable die members having a casting space therebetween, a burner chamber posi- -.tioned above the die member, a melting pot extending into the burner chamber for supplying material in a molten state to the .casting space of the casting, means controlling the flow of material from the melting pot to the die space, means for exhausting the air from the die space preparatory to supplying the molten material thereto, a cylinder positioned below the two part die,

a piston slidably extending into the cylinder. and connected to the movable die member of the two part die, and means for supplying a fluid under pressure to the cylinder.

G. A vacuum molding machine, comprising a two-part die member having a cast- @50 ing space therebetween, a burner chamber vpositioned above the die member, a melting pot extending into the burner chambervand having a discharge opening communicating with the casting space of the two part die,

mi a valve member controlling said discharge opening, means for sealing the joint of the die parts, means for exln'iusting the air from the casting space ot the die member, a cylinder positioned below thc die member, a piston slidably extending intothe cylinder and connected at itsupper end to one part ot the two partdie, and means ior supp-lying a I'iuid under pressure to the cylinder.

I. A vacuum molding machine, comprising a base member, having a cylinder .provided with a piston, a burner chamber mounted onV supports extending upwardly from thebase member, a vmelting pot extending'into the burner chamber and having a discharge opening in its lower portion, a 8o valve member controlling the llow oli material through said opening. an upper die section member connected to the lower por.- tion of the burner ychamber and having a recessed portion into which the discharge opening of the melting pot opens, said die member having an annular llange provided with an annular groovcin conimnnication with the recessed portion o'lf thc die, a lower .die Sectionmembermounted on and movable 9o with the piston` and arranged to engage the upper die section member toy i'orin a casting space therebetween, said lower die section member having an annular `llange provided with an annular recess which registers with the annular recess of the upper v annular flange, a sealing packing positioned in/,one of the annular recesses and entering theother annular recess to seal thc casting s ace between the two die sections, means foipfexhausting the air in the sealed casting space, and means for supplying a lluid under /pressure to the cylinder.

L 8. A vacuum molding machine, comprising a base member provided with upstanding supports, a plate mounted on the upper ends of the supports, a burner chamber mounted on the plate, a fixed upper die section connected to the plate and having` a recessed lower casting space, said die mcm- 11e ber having an annular flange inrovided with an annular groove in its lower face and with other grooves extending l'rom the annular groove to the casting space, a melting pot positioned within the burner chamber and having a discharge opening at its lower end which is in' communication with the upper portion of the casting space o'lt the upper die section, a valve member controlling .said discharge opening. means for heating said 12u burner chamber, a vertically extending cylinder mounted on said base niex'nber and provided with a piston member slidablyY extending therein, a lower movable die section mounted 011 the 4upper end ot the piston me member and having an annular [lange provided with an annular groove registering with the annular groove oi the upper die section, a sealing ring positioned in one of the annular grooves and adapted to enter llt@ the other'annulargroovenwhen thedie sections are in engagement with each other to form a casting space, meansi for supplying .fluid under pressure to the'cylinder, and means for exhaustingthe nir from 1the cast- 'ing space between `the two die sections pre ,paratory to supplying the molten material tesa-id space.

9. In a Vacuum' molding mach1ne,t he combination, with a frame, of a fixed die mem! `ber 1mounted thereon, a die member movably mounted in the frame and movable to a position adjacent the fixed die member to form a casting space therebetween, means .for conducting metal to the casting space,

means carried'b)r the die membersfor ysealing them. together to form' an air-tight joint between `the same, means'for exhausting the airA from the casting space, and springpre'ssed stripper rods slidably mounted in the movable die member and automatically operable to remove lthe cast article from the movable die member when said die member is moved away from the fixed die member.

ineoee 10. ln a vacuum molding machine, the combination, with a frame, a burner chamber mounted thereon, a melting pot disposed Within the burner chamber and having a discharge openiingat its lower end, and a valve member controlling the dischargeopening, oi? die member secured to the rameibeneath the melting pot and having an opening therein communicating with said discharge opening, a die member vertically movable with respect to the frame and said fixed die to form a casting space between said members, means for sealing the joint between the die members, means for exhausting the air from the casting space of the die members, and stripper rode cerried by the movable die member.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

CONRAD VVERRA.

lVitnesses i GEO. SKINNER, A. C. PANKRATZ. 

